Chicken Parmesan

I had a quiet evening with my wife for July 4th.  We made Chicken Parmesan and enjoyed one another’s company.  I thought I’d share the recipe and results.  It’s a relatively easy recipe that yields a great dish. 

You’re probably noticing an Italian theme in my initials posts.  Don’t worry we like much more than Italian and those posts will be coming.  In fact, just yesterday we made some homemade salsa that we’ll be canning soon.  I’ll post on that and much more in the coming days.

Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti and Sauce

Parmesan Cheese
Obviously, the fresher the better for Parmesan cheese.  We didn’t have time to go to the store and get a nice block of parmesan cheese this time.  So we used the Kraft grated Parmesan.  This would be appalling to a true gourmet, but I’m a pseudo-gourmet so it sufficed given our time crunch.  I’ve made this with authentic Parmesan and it is, in fact, better.  That having been said you could still taste the Parmesan in this batch and was still nice and crunchy.

Cutlets
The chicken breasts will be easier to slice into cutlets if you freeze them for 15 minutes until firm but not fully frozen. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef’s knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally.

Double-Dredged
One of the keys to making a thin, crispybreading is to double dredge a very dry cutlet.  Once you make your cutlets it’s important to pat the cutlets as dry as possible using a paper towel.  This allows your first flour dredge coat well and not ball up.  Once that’s complete the egg-white-only egg dredge remains thin without the yolk.  Then your second flour dredge still without clumps by-and-large.  This make a thin crusty layer that is very nice.

Tomato Sauce
This is not a recipe for tomato sauce.  Once again the pseudo-gourmet in me allows me to use Prego.  You could simply heat a can of tomato sauce and season with rosemary, thyme and basil from your spice rack along with salt and pepper to taste.  That’s a great simple, yet distinctly Italian flavored tomato sauce for use.

Serving Suggestions
You can serve this with a side of spaghetti and sauce, a simple salad or mashed potatoes.  I chose to serve it with a side of spaghetti and sauce which makes for a nice complement to each bite on a fork.

The Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), sliced into cutlets
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon 
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
3 large egg whites  
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional) 
6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
4 teaspoons olive oil  
1 lemon , cut into wedges 
1/2 cup tomato Sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Fresh, chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Prep:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to even 1/4-inch thickness.
3. Pat dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Set wire rack on rimmed baking sheet.
5. Whisk together 1/4 cup flour and grated Parmesan cheese in pie plate, see dredge order graphic below.
6. In medium bowl, whisk egg whites and chives (if using) together until slightly foamy, see dredge order graphic below.
7. In second pie plate, combine 2 cups shredded Parmesan and remaining tablespoon flour, see dredge order graphic below.

Dredge:
1. Using tongs and working with 1 cutlet at a time, coat chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
2. Transfer chicken to egg-white mixture; coat evenly and let excess run off.
3. Coat chicken with shredded Parmesan mixture, pressing gently so that cheese adheres.
4. Place on wire rack.

Set your workspace up to allow 1-2-3 dredging.

Pan-Sear:
1. Heat 2 tsp. of oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Place 2 cutlets in skillet and reduce heat to medium.
3. Cook until cheese is pale golden brown, about 3 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking, use thin nonstick spatula to gently separate any cheesy edges that have melted together.
5. Carefully flip cutlets and continue to cook until cheese is pale golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes.
6. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
7. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and return to medium heat.
8. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and cook remaining 2 cutlets.

Topping:
1. Spoon 2 tsp. of tomato sauce on top of each crispy cutlet on wire rack.
2. Spread 1/4 cup of mozzarella on each crispy cutlet on wire rack.
3. Place baking sheet in oven until mozzarella melts smooth ad begins to brown on top.
4. Plate with optional side.
5. Squeeze lemon over top.  It will be a nice complementary flavor.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley.

This is a great meal for a family or a cozy dinner for two.  It’s easy to plate in an attractive way. 

Enjoy!
- The Fortunate Foodie